File card structure



July 16, 19 57 D.-w. MCARTHUR I 2,799,107

' FILE CARD STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 24, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H I '1 HII In '1] a4 80 l I az 'h z lhao'm 32/ INVENTOR.

AT TO NEYS D. w. MCARTIHUR FILE CARD STRUCTURE IN VEN TOR. 00M 7/. 216mm 6m and AT'roxaYs Unite States Patent FILE CARD STRUCTURE Donald W. McArthur, Pearl River, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Miehle-Goss-Dexter, Incorpo rated, a corporation of Delaware I Application September 24, 1953, Serial No. 382,172

7 Claims. (Cl. 40-159) This invention relates to devices which provide a mount or holder for strips and/ or individual frames of exposed photographic film, and more particularly to a card struc ture for this purpose.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a relatively simple and inexpensive mount or holder in the form of a novelly constructed card for one or more strips of exposed photographic film, such as micro-film, or for a row or rows of individual frames of such film, whereby said strips or frames may be convenientlyfiled, indexediand classified in accordance with the subject matter of the exposures or images thereon.

Another object of the inventionis to provide a novel mount or holder of the character and for the purpose above described, wherein the various exposures or images on the filmstrips or frames mounted therein may be conveniently viewed and projected through suitable openings in the holder and magnified upon a screen for viewing and examining purposes.

Another object is to provide a novel file card for the purpose above described, wherein the film strips or frames mounted therein are visible at all times and yet are fully protected against direct finger contact and against actual contact of dirt, dust, moisture, and other foreign or injurious particles therewith, as Well as against any abrasive action thereon.

A further object is to provide for thepurpose above 2 described, a file card of novel construction wherein no portion of the film strip or frame when mounted in said card is concealed by the card, thus obtaining and assuring a full view of each exposure or image on said strip or frame.

Another object is to provide a three-ply file card for the purpose above described which, through novel construction, provides between the opposite plane surfaces thereof one or more pockets and sight openings in said surfaces registering with said pockets, and includes separate protective transparent envelopes in which the film strips or frames are placed and which are insertable into said'pockets, the relative sizes of said pockets, opening and envelopes being so chosen that the pockets are substantially the same size as the envelopes larger than the film strip or frame and that the openings are substantially the same size as the film strip or frame.

Another object is to provide a novel file card of the character previously described, wherein .the transparent envelope is so novelly constructed that the film strip or strip or'frame and having means therein for positioning the strip or frames centrally between the upper and lower edges of said envelope- Another object is to provide a transparent envelope of the character and for the purpose above described, having upper and lower marginal edge portions which are inwardly ofiset in a novel manner so as to confine the film strip or frames and to locate the same centrally in said envelope. I

The above and further objects and novel features of the present invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description when the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings'are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, V Fig. l is a front or face elevation of one form of holder or file card constructed in accordance with'the present invention and adapted for mounting two strips of photographic negative film therein, portions of the card'being broken away for purposes of clearer illustration;

Fig. 2 is an exploded view, in perspective, of three plies employed in producing the holder or file card shown in ia- Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional -view.on the lin'e 3-53 of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale;

Fig 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view onthe line 44 of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 5 is an enlargedface view of'a film receiving and protecting envelope constructed in accordance. with the present invention and forming a part of and included in the holder or file card shown in Fig. l, a portion of said envelope being broken away for purposes'of clearer illustration; I

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary top plan view on a considerably larger scale of the envelope shown in Fig. 5, and including a strip of photographic negative film inserted therein; and i Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 77 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown, by way of example, one form of holder or file card constructed in accordance with the present invention, which is particularlydesig ned for use in mounting one or more strips of photographic negative film, such as micro-film, containing several successive exposures, or oneor more rows of individual frames of such film. It willbe understood that the novel file card may be made in any desired size to accommodate any size and type of commercially available filrn. In the illustrated embodiment, the novel file card is of the standard 3 x 5 file card size and .is constructed to accommodate two strips of micro-film of the 16 mm. size, or the equivalent thereof in individual frames of such film. Obviously, the novel file card may be constructed to receive only one strip of film, or the size of the card may be increased to accommodate any desired number of strips of 16 mm. film, or two or more strips of film of a larger size. It will be apparent as the following detailed description of the novel file card proceeds, that the present inventionmay also be advantageously embodied in protective mountings for stamps, photographs, and other like objects of value and interest which are to be preserved.

As shown in the drawings, the novel holder or file card, indicated generally at 20 (Figs. 1, 3 and 4), is a threeply structure consisting of a front ply 21 (Fig. 2 a rear ply 22, and an intermediate ply 23, which are all of the same length and width and are preferably formed of smooth surfaced card stock or heavy relatively stiff paper material. In the finished article shown in Figs l, 3 and 4, 'the card plies 21, 22 and 23 are disposed in superposed relation with their edgesaccurately aligned, andare firmly bonded together as a singleunit such that said plies at the edges thereof are not distinguishable one from the other. This is accomplished by first coating the entire area of the available plane surfaces of the intermediate card ply 23 at opposite sides thereof with a suitable a hesive substance and then subjecting the assembly to heat and pressure sufliciently to firmly bond and in effect blend together the abutting surfaces of the card plies.

For a purpose to appear hereinafter, the intermediate card ply 23 is formed of card stock having a thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the film to be mounted, plus twice the thickness of the material which is used to form a transparent film-receiving, centering and protecting envelope, indicated generally at 24, to be hereinbefore described in detail, which is a component part of the novel card structure. In the illustrated embodi ment, the envelope '24 is preferably formed of clear, transparent cellulose acetate material having a thickness of approximately .003 of an inch which effectively provides a moisture proof, wear resisting and durable envelope without materially increasing the thickness of the card structure, and permits strong transmission of light therethrough for film projecting and viewing purposes. The relatively few standard sizes of micro-film have a thickness of approximately .006 of 'an inch. Accordingly, for the above-mentioned film and envelope material thicknesses, the intermediate card ply 23, in the illustrated embodiment, 'isformed of card materialhaving a thickness of approximately .011 of an inch which is deemed suflicient and which has been found to give excellent results. Other materials, such as Celluloid, cellophane, or rigid vinyls may be used to produce the envelope 24, and it will be apparent that the thickness of the intermediate card ply 23 varies with and is governed by the combined thicknesses of the film and envelope therefor. Although the front card ply 21 and the rear card ply 22 may be of any thickness desired, said plies, as herein shown, are preferably of the same thickness as that of the intermediate card ply 23 so as to simplify the manufacture of the card structure and to provide a card structure which is strong and durable, will not curl and is resistant to bending. It is to be understood that all or certain of the card plies 21, 22 and 23 may, if desired be made of other materials such as, for example, thermoplastic material.

The intermediate card ply 23 has die-cut therein two alike oblong apertures 25, 25 (Fig. 2) which are disposed in spaced parallel relation and extend lengthwise of said ply. The apertures 25, 25 extend substantially the full length of the card ply 23 leaving relatively narrow marginal positions of said ply at the opposite ends thereof. As shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, the apertures 25, 25 are each adapted to accommodate an envelope 24 above referred to, and for this purpose each aperture is of a width slightly in excess of the width of the envelope so that the latter may be wholly and freely positioned therein in a manner to be hereinafter described.

The front or outer card ply 21 and the rear or outer card ply22 have die-cut therein two alike oblong sight openings 26, 26 and 27, 27 respectively (Fig. 2). These openings 26, 26 and 27, 27 extend lengthwise of the respective card plies and are of a width substantially the same as the width of the film strip or frames to be mounted, which width is less than the width of the apertures 25, 25 in the intermediate card ply 23. The openings 26, 26 and 27, 27 are so located in the respective card plies 21, 22 that. when the card plies 21, 22 and 23 are in superposed assembled relation, as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, the openings 26, 26 are in exact register with the openings 27, 27 and that said registering openings are symmetrically disposed widthwise with respect to the apertures 25, 25 in the intermediate card ply 23. The openings 26, 26 and 27, 27 are of a length less than the length of the apertures 25, 25 in the intermediate card ply 23 and are so located lengthwise with respect to said apertures that corresponding ends 28, 28 thereof (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) are disposed a slight distance inwardly from the adjacent ends 29, 29 of the apertures 25, 25, and that the opposite ends 30, 30 of said openings are disposed a greater distance inwardly from the adjacent opposite ends 31, 31 of said apertures. The effective length of film that can thus be viewed and projected is governed by the length of the openings 26, 26 and 27, 27 which, in the illustrated embodiment and as shown in Fig. l, is the equivalent of six exposures or frames 32 of 16 mm. film. It will be apparent that by virtue of the described arrangement and relative sizes of apertures 25, 25 and openings 26, 26 and 27, 27, portions of the outer card plies 21 and 22 project beyond said apertures all the way around the same, thus forming in conjunction with the apertures 25, 25 elongated pockets 33 which are completely closed around the edges thereof and are of the proper length, width and depth to snugly receive and retain therein envelopes 24 above referred to.

The front outer card ply 21 has die-cut therein two alike narrow windows 34, 34 (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) which are located between the ends 30, 30 of the sight openings 26, 26 and the adjacent ends 31, 31 of the apertures 25, 25. The windows 3.4, 34 are of the same width as that of the apertures 25, 25 and they extend across the width of the latter and accurately register with the same, said windows serving as entrance openings to the otherwise closed pockets 33 through which the envelopes 24 may be edgewise inserted into the pockets and removed therefrom. The rear outer card ply 22 has solid portions thereof backing the entrance openings or windows 34, 34 in the front card ply 21, said portions effectively serving as rests and guides for the envelopes 24 to facilitate the insertion thereof into the pockets 33 of the card structure, and being provided with die-cut arcuate or half-round finger openings 35, 35 to enable finger displacement of projecting ends of the envelopes upwardly from the pockets through the entrance openings 34, 34 to facilitate removal of said envelopes from said pockets. The diameter of the finger openings 35, 35 is less than the width of the entrance openings 34, 34, and said finger openings are so located that the straight edges thereof are substantially in line with the outer edges of said entrance openings.

As shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the envelopes 24 are each in the form of a folder formed from a sheet of clear transparent material, preferably cellulose acetate material, folded upwardly and over upon itself substantially in the center thereof to provide alike front and back panels 36 and 37, respectively, which are connected together at the folded edge and are of a Width greater than the width of the film strips or frames to behandled and slightly less than the width of the apertures 25, 25 in the intermediate card ply 23. The envelopes 24 are of a length less than the length of the apertures 25, 25 and such that when said envelopes are fully inserted into the pockets 33 of. the card structure the trailing ends thereof project beyond the inner edges of the entrance openings or windows 34, 34 in the front card ply 21 and partly overlap the finger openings 35, 35 in the rear card ply 22, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

In order to facilitate centering of the film strips or frames in the oversize envelopse 24 between the upper and lower longitudinal edges of the latter, each envelope is novelly constructed to provide between the panels 36 and 37 thereof spaced parallel shoulders or shelves 38 and 39 (Fig. 7) which extend substantially the entire length of the envelope and are disposed parallel to the upper and lower edges, respectively, of said envelope. The shoulders or shelves 38 and 39 face each other and are symmetrically disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the envelope 24 and are spaced apart a distance slightly in excess of the width of the film strip or frames to be handled. Accordingly, when a film strip 40 or film frame is placed in the envelope 24, the shoulders or shelves 38 and 39 effectively serve to receive said film strip or frame therebetween and thereby automatic'ally locate the same centrally between the upper and lower edges of said envelope and at the same time confine the film strip or frame against upward and downward displacement from central position and against upward outward displacement from the envelope.

In the illustrated embodiment, the shoulders 38 and 39 are formed integrally with the envelope 24, and are conveniently and effectively produced in a novel manner by passing the folded sheet through and between opposed rotary knurling tools of a fine straight knurl type, whereby short, minute, shoulder-forming, teeth-like projections such as shown at 41 in the greatly enlarged views of Figs. 6 and 7 are impressed in one of the panels 36 and 37, i. e., the panel 37, of the envelope at and along the upper edge thereof, and companion depressions 42 are simultaneously formed in the other panel, i. e., the panel 36, to receive said projections therein, and like projections 43 are impressed in the other panel, i. e. the panel 36, at and along the lower edge thereof with companion depressions 44 in the opposing panel, i. e., the panel 37. Preferably, the depth of the projections 41 and 43 is substantially equal to the thickness of the film, but they may be made deeper if desired so that when the film strip or frame is placed in the envelope 24 and the panels 36 and 37 are closed into contact with said film strip or frame, said projections will extend beyond the film strip or frame and beyond the inner plane surface of the opposing panel and into the companion depressions 42 and 44 and interlock with the same. When cellulose acetate material is used to form the envelopes 24 as in the illustrated embodiment, said material is folded and the projections 41 and 43 are formed therein while the material is subjected to heat so as to soften the same sufficiently to enable such folding and the formation of said projections without cracking, rupturing or otherwise damaging the material.

It might be pointed out that the thickness of the envelopes 24 is not noticeably increased by the formation of the projections 41 and 43 therein, and that no increase in the thickness of the intermediate card ply 23 over that hereinbefore mentioned is required because of said projections. It is to be understood that the projections 41 and 43 may, if desired, be impressed in the same panel of the envelope, and that since the centering of the film in the envelope is in the main eifected by the lower projections 43 and resulting shoulder 39, the upper projections 41 and resulting shoulder 38 may be eliminated if desired.

It is believed that the utility and practicability of the novel holder or file card illustrated in the accompanying drawings will be readily understood from the foregoing description and may be briefly summarized as follows. A film strip 44) substantially the length of the sight openings 26, 26 and 27, 27, or less as desired, or the equivalent thereof in individual frames of exposed film, is placed in an envelope 24 through the upper openable end of said envelope such that the leading or left-hand end thereof (Fig. 1) is substantially in line with the leading or lefthand end of the envelope, and because of the shoulders 38 and 39 in said envelope said film strip or each individual film frame is quickly and accurately centered vertically in the envelope and is retained in such position. The leading end of the envelope 24 with the film insert 40 is then positioned in the entrance opening 34 of the selected card pocket 33 and engaged with the exposed solid portion of the rear outer card ply 22, and using said card play portion as a guide, said envelope is easily inserted edgewise beneath the front outer card ply 21 and into said pocket until it contacts the left-hand end of the pocket defined by the end wall 29 of the respective aperture 25 in the intermediate card ply 23. When the envelope 24 is fully inserted into the card pocket, all portions of the various exposures on the film strip 40 or frames are contained within the field of the respective sight openings 26 and 27 and, hence, said exposures are visible in their entirety for complete projection and viewing purposes.- Data relating to the exposures may be written on the blank outer surfaces of the front card ply 21 and rear card ply 22. When the envelope 24 is fully inserted in the card pocket, endwise displacement I thereof in its plane in either direction from the card is absolutely prevented because of the fully closed ends of said pocket. The film strips or frames contained in the envelopes 24 are fully protected against dust, dirt, moisture, etc., and against scratching and fingerprints, etc.

Since the envelopes 24 are made of clear transparent opening 34 from the rear card ply side of the card by means of the finger opening 35, and then grasping the upwardly deflected end and pulling the envelope from the card pocket. The envelopes 24 alone, removed from the card, may be used effectively as a holder or slide for film strips or frames, and enables use thereof with projectors or readers which cannot accommodate the card.

Although only one embodiment of the invention has been described in the foregoing specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it is to be under stood that the same is not limited to said embodiment or to the particular type of insert. Various changes may be made in the structure, some of which have been mentioned in the foregoing specification, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as will now be clear to those skilled in the art. For example, the described card alone, without the envelope, may be used effectively for the intended purpose, and for mounting photographs, stamps and other like objects of value or interest by simply varying the width of all openings correspondingly to accommodate such articles. Additionally, when the cards are to be used in connection with photographs or other opaque inserts, with or without the envelopes, the sight opening or openings in the rear card ply may be omitted. Also, when the cards are to be used Withor without the envelopes for filing and storing purposes only, and it is not deemed necessary or desirable to view the contents thereof, the sight opening or openings in both the front and rear card plies may be omitted. The insert locating and confining shoulders within the envelope may be made in other ways and by other means, such as for example, by adhesively securing to one or both panels of the envelope two narrow thin strips of cellulose acetate or other material. For a definition of the limits of the invention reference is had primarily to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A holder in the form of a card for a flexible flat elongated article such as photographic negative film and the like, comprising a bonded three-ply card structure, at least one of the first and third, outer plies having an elongated sight opening therethrough for exposing the article, the second, intermediate ply having an elongated article-receiving aperture therein forming with the outer plies an article-receiving pocket underlying the sight opening and extending beneath the sight opening along both side edges thereof, the aperture extending lengthwise an appreciable distance beyond a first end of the sight opening, the first ply having a window at least as wide as the aperture in the second ply and disposed along and spaced from the said first end of the sight opening, the corresponding first end of the aperture in the second ply underlying the window whereby the article may be introduced 'endwise into the pocket through the window, the third ply having an article guiding portion underlying that portion of the Window which lies closest to the sight Opening, and an opening through the third ply opposite the Window through Which the outer end of the article in the pocket may be thrust out of the plane of the pocket and past the outer edge or the Window.

2. The holder as defined in claim 1 in which the sight opening and the aperture are rectangular and have their longitudinal axes lying in the same plane normal to the broad extent of the holder.

3. The holder as defined in claim 2 in which the width of the window equals the width of th'e'aperture, and the transverse axis of the Window lies in said normal plane.

'4. The holder as defined in claim 3 in which the window is disposed in the same outer ply as that having the recited sight opening therein.

5. The holder as defined in claim 4 in which the said other opening is of less width than the window and is disposed generally in alignment with the edge of the Window remote from the said first end of the sight opening.

6. The holder as defined in claim 5 in which there is a second sight opening, generally similar to the first re- 8 cited such 0pe1iing, in the other of the first and third plies. 7. The holder as defined in claim 6 in which the apen ture in the secondply and thusthe article receiving pocket extend somewhat beyond the second end of each of the sight openings.

Refe'rencesCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 711,840 Fe'rnald Oct. 21, 1902 1,603,142 Murray Oct. 12, 1926 1,738,334 Taber Dec. 3, 1929 1,944,794 Klinger Jan. 23, 1934 2,103,339 Salfisberg Dec. 28, 1937 2,154,510 'King'et'al. Apr. 18, 1939 2,179,884 Falkoif Nov. 14, 1939 2,544,844 'Liber Mar. 13, 1951 2,587,434 Boaden Feb. 26, 1952 2,589,022 Page Mar. 11, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 382,105 Great Britain Oct. 20, 1932 

